


Unity (Hiatus - Indefinite)

by Silence_Will_Fall201



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Connor and Hank are a 'family', F/M, Family Dynamics, Family feelings, Feels, Humour, Kara and Alice are a family, Post pacific ending, and Hank, mostly from Connor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-23 14:30:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silence_Will_Fall201/pseuds/Silence_Will_Fall201
Summary: Years after Detroit is evacuated of all human life, Markus attempts to reintegrate androids into society. Allowing the first human visitors since the revolution, many of the androids are finally reunited with their respective families who treated them like humans.A new threat is bubbling under the surface, embedding itself into the society Markus created, causing problems for the androids and the few humans to return. It's up to Connor to find out what's happening, reunited with Hank, to solve the case.In Canada, android checks are underway after the crisis. Canadian government realised that Deviants fled the United States and crossed the border. Kara, living as Alice's mother in a quiet suburban house after being placed into society by Rose's brother, finds herself in a situation she might not return from.





	1. Choice progression

**Author's Note:**

> Before I begin the fic, here is a list of all the major choices I did in my play through. This will serve as the canon for this fic, so certain characters might not be alive from your play through.

**The Hostage:**

\- Did not save the fish (Didn't see it)

\- Did not enter Emma's room.

\- Investigated father's body, did not learn Daniel's name.

\- Did not investigate cop's body

\- SWAT member was injured.

\- Walked outside, 100% success rate, Emma survived, Connor survived, Daniel did not. ("You lied to me, Connor")

\- Did not save the injured cop. (Did not see)

**Shades of Colour:**

\- Did not engage protesters

**A new home:**

\- Did housework, found Red-Ice, Todd engaged Kara

\- Talked to Alice, did not get a response.

\- Found way out.

\- Alice gave Kara the key to her box.

**The painter:**

\- Played piano (Intimate)

\- Painted (Desk)

\- Painted (Identity, Androids)

**Partners:**

\- Bought Hank a drink

\- Reconstructed crime scene successfully

\- Found Deviant

**Stormy Night:**

\- Became Deviant

\- Got to Alice before Todd

\- Failed to Hide

\- Defended Alice, hurt Todd

\- Opened front door and escaped by bus

**Broken:**

\- Checked studio with Carl

\- Markus became Deviant

\- Did as Carl wanted, Carl died

\- Markus was blamed by Leo

**The Interrogation:**

\- Analysed android

\- Pressured Android until it broke

\- Android shot Connor and itself

**Fugitives:**

\- Kara and Alice went to abandoned car

\- Made promise

**From the Dead:**

\- Markus killed to get spare parts

**Waiting for Hank:**

\- Did not talk with Gavin

\- Found everything on Hank's desk

\- Attempted small talk

\- Found lead

**On the run:**

\- Cut hair, Blonde colour

\- Kara and Alice evaded police and Connor

**Jericho:**

\- Found Jericho, right paths to get there

**The Nest:**

\- Found Deviant

\- Chased Deviant

\- Saved Hank, Connor didn't get killed, Deviant got away

**Time to Decide:**

\- Hatched a plan

**Zlatko:**

\- Kara was reset

\- Kara remembered Alice

\- Did not kill damaged android in the bathroom

\- Let bear out

\- Zlatko was killed by own creations and Luther escaped with Kara and Alice

**Russian roulette:**

\- Calmed Sumo

\- Easygoing attitude

\- Striped shirt

\- Found Hank's son

\- Left for Eden club

**Spare Parts:**

\- Markus damaged bringing down drone

\- Saved John, killed human security guard

\- Freed other androids, accepted John into Jericho

\- Found key, threatened guards

\- incapacitated guards

\- got truck of spare parts

**The Eden Club:**

\- Pursued Deviant, found Deviant

\- Engaged Deviants, killed rushing Traci

\- Other Traci killed herself with Connor's gun

**The Pirates Cove:**

\- Found RA9 writing

\- Found gun

\- The group enjoyed a quiet moment together

**The Bridge:**

\- Connor showed his fear

\- Hank did not shoot him

**The Stratford Tower:**

\- Locked door to server room

\- Incapacitated security

\- Shot escaping operator

\- Progression of message; Determined, end segregation, own property, peaceful ending

\- Simon did not get damaged and jumped with the group

**Public Enemy:**

\- Analysed dead employee

\- Watched recording of Markus

\- Entered kitchen

\- Found Deviant

\- Deviant attacked, Connor reinserted vital biocomponent

\- Deviant attacked SWAT, Connor was killed saving Hank

\- Roof not searched

**Midnight Train:**

\- Alice saw Mary

\- Talked to Luther, did not talk to Adam

\- Hid blue blood pouches

\- Hid android jacket

\- failed to tell Luther and Alice to hide

\- Policeman killed Luther

**Capitol Park:**

\- Deactivated alarm

\- Converted store androids

\- converted park androids and shop window androids

\- peaceful message

\- Refused molotov

\- Police patrol arrived

\- Chose to let crowd decide

\- Public hated androids

**Meet Kamski:**

\- Connor died in Public Enemy, Hank wasn't happy

\- Found photo of Amanda

\- Didn't shoot Chloe

\- Connor denied Deviancy

**Freedom March:**

\- Converted androids around area

\- Raised hands to policeman

\- Chose to leave march, police chose to fire at will

\- Chose to stand ground and fight

\- Fight won

**Last Chance, Connor:**

\- Jericho location unknown at beginning

\- Perkins arrived, Hank decided to help create distraction

\- Connor got key, went to evidence lockup

\- Gavin intervened, Connor ignored

\- Connor got Jericho location out of Deviant from Stratford Tower

**Crossroads:**

\- Kara made it to Jericho

\- Kara found out Alice is an android

\- Kara chose to hug Alice

\- Connor infiltrated Jericho

\- Connor spotted Kara

\- Connor was stopped by Lucy

\- Connor confronted Markus

\- Connor became Deviant

\- Jericho is under attack

- Markus sends way out message to Deviants

\- Markus blows up Jericho

\- Markus saves Deviants

\- Markus saves Josh

\- Markus saves North

\- Connor defended Markus, North, Josh and Simon

\- Kara and Alice played dead

\- Everyone survives and escapes

**Night of the Soul:**

\- Markus payed respects to Carl

\- Markus forgave Connor

\- Markus chose peaceful demonstration

**Battle for Detroit:**

\- Connor spotted Camera

\- Connor killed guards

\- Connor used Agent's voice to change elevator direction

\- New Connor arrives with Hank

\- Connor saves Hank and is injured

\- Connor and New Connor are tested by Hank

\- Connor answers correctly

\- New Connor is killed by Hank

\- Androids are awakened

\- Kara found gun

\- Kara and Alice sneak past soldiers

\- Alice found Jerry's

\- Kara saved Jerry's

\- Kara chose to go to checkpoint

\- Kara and Alice go through unharmed

\- Kara and Alice get to bus terminal

\- Kara keeps family's tickets

\- Kara and Alice go across to Canada

\- Kara sees Rose at the border checkpoint

\- Kara sees Jerry

\- Kara and Rose meet in the bathroom

\- Kara chooses to let Jerry sacrifice himself

\- Kara and Alice cross to Canada unharmed

\- Markus advanced to camp, was calm

\- Markus created barricade

\- Sent "We are Alive" message to reporters

\- Perkins arrived

\- Markus chose not to leave cover

\- Markus successfully saved his people from the soldiers

\- When cornered, chose to sing

\- Public reacted, Public became sympathetic

\- Androids are free, Detroit is evacuated

\- Connor finds out about his programming, that he was destined to become Deviant

\- Connor escapes Amanda's garden

\- Connor does not do what he was told

\- Connor and Hank hug in front of The Chicken Feed


	2. Markus' Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus confides in North about his plans for Detroit.

**Date:**

**March 8th, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 08:07** :03

* * *

 

Inside the top floor of a repurposed CyberLife Tower, Markus watched over the city of Detroit from a window in what had become his office. The door opened, Markus turning at the sounds of footsteps. He smiled at North who made her way to his side, putting her hand in his. They both watched as their skin faded, revealing the clean, white, base for all androids underneath. Saying nothing, Markus threw his arm over North's shoulder and they both turned to watch the city.

"It's beautiful from up here." North commented.

"It is." Markus nodded. "We've taken over, yet something still doesn't feel right to me."

"Why?" North questioned, turning to face him. "What could be missing? We have our sanctuary, our home. No one is going to change that."

"You're right." Markus sighed. "But some of our people have begun to miss their human families from before. The ones who had humans who treated them well, like I did." North raised an eyebrow and gave Markus a concerned look.

"We can't let them back in." She told him. "They'll only ruin what we've built."

"Are you sure about that?" Markus asked, gently releasing her hand. "Look, we have some AK400's who miss the children they used to play with. We have android doctors with no-one with red blood to care for. We have elderly carers who can't take care of anyone because there are no elderly here." Markus sighed. "All I propose is a trial period. Trusted humans can come back, live here."

"Who?" North looked at Markus warily.

"For starter's, Connor's human friend would be a good beginning." Markus pointed out. "The lieutenant helped Connor quite a bit."

"Okay...but who else?"

"We'll just have to ask our people. So, what do you say, North?" Markus faced her fully. North thought for several moments, before rolling her eyes and nodding.

"Okay. But only for a trial period."

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 8th, 2043**

**Time**

**PM 09:47** :26

 

* * *

 

 

Large groups of androids converged at a park. All were wearing human clothes, and many had removed their LED's since the revolution. Those that didn't simply chose to remain different, some wanting the distinction that they were still androids. Many androids had gone to work in fields they chose. Many had begun to work in the old CyberLife factories, a constant supply of blue blood was needed and spare parts were always helpful to have. Some of those who used to be doctors became mechanics, able to fix androids that managed to accidentally remove a limb or puncture a vital biocomponant.

Connor, being the android detective, decided to continue working in that area. Detroit had a new police department, as Deviants were as unpredictable as humans. Connor had a large team of investigative androids willing to work with him. Some of those were even liberated RK800 models like himself, which made it interesting in day to day conversation, the confrontation with his mission-driven counterpart still fresh in his memory, even though years had passed.

Connor watched as Markus and North stood on a raised platform above the crowd, flicking his beloved coin between his fingers as way to distract his hands. 

"It has come a time where we must decide what to do next, where to go from here." Markus said loudly, quieting down the androids before him. "North and I have discussed this, and figured it might be time. We have decided to allow humans back into our society, in small groups at first, and only those trusted to you. If you wish for us not to do this, speak up now. If you are okay with the decision, then we will be asking all of you to write down the names of people you trust, the people you want to see again." Markus waited, and when no objections were heard, he continued. "Expect to see them again soon." Markus finished before walking off stage with North.

Connor turned his back to the stage, heading over to a small, red, car. Getting inside the Car, Connor made his way back to the station, getting out quickly and walking hurriedly inside. The layout hadn't been changed of the bullpen. Charging stations for androids were still situated in the back of the room, and Connor still occupied the same desk he had when he was partnered with Hank. The desk in front, that used to be Hank's, still had the Lieutenant's name plate sitting on one corner. He was sentimental, he supposed. Another android rushed over to Connor, handing him a small envelope.

"What is this?" Connor asked, the LED on the side of his head turning yellow in confusion.

"It's a letter." The other android shrugged and walked away, back to her own desk.

Connor drifted into analysis mode, searching for clues as to who sent the letter. Fingerprints on one side of the envelope told Connor it was a human. He matched the fingerprints into his database, coming up with one person. Hank Anderson.

"Hank?" Connor muttered to himself.

Opening the letter, Connor felt himself yearn for the small amount of time he had been partnered with the Lieutenant.

_Connor,_

_I don't even know if you're getting this. Fuck, I don't even know if you guys have email or something. Probably would have been better that way, huh, Connor? Anyway, I haven't seen you in a while. Years, actually. I know Warren's got all android's on lockdown in Detroit, but damned if I say it, Sumo misses you. I miss you. Weird. The old man who hated androids grew to actually feel something for one of them. Not gonna name that particular emotion, fuck, you know it, Connor._

_Either way, I haven't really got a lot of company out here. Decided to move to Chicago, you know. Guess I'll just tell you about my life so far...it's not like a lot's going on. A few android's here and there are still left around the States, so they've got me on those cases. More Deviant's. Instead of hunting them, we're just trying to send them to you lot. It's not really the same on these cases. You know why. Fuck I'm not great with emotion. Are we sure I'm not an android?_

_\- Hank_

Connor was at a loss for words. He hadn't seen Hank in years, had barely spoken to him. They had the occasional phone call to keep up with each other, but Hank had never sent a letter for sending a letter's sake.

"Connor?" Someone called. Connor turned abruptly and was faced with Markus.

"Uh...hi?" Connor cleared his throat, trying to break the ice. "Did you need something? Security?"

"No, no." Markus took the chair from Hank's desk and sat down. "I was wondering...since we're bringing human's back, at least a few, if you wanted your partner back?" Connor's eyes widened and the LED turned blue in surprise.

"Yes, of course." Connor answered after the initial shock. "I'm sure Lieutenant Anderson would be glad to come back."

"Maybe." Markus responded. "Don't forget he'd the one who hated us at first."

"At first." Connor nodded. "He's changed."

"I'll take your word for it." Markus gave Connor a small smile and stood, walking out of the station.

 

* * *

 

 

**Ontario - Canada**

**Date:**

**March 10th, 2043**

**Time:  
**

**PM 06:32** :47

 

* * *

 

 

Kara watched the news as she was making dinner for Alice. They lived in a quiet suburb in Ontario, a life that Alice didn't have before. Though, Alice still didn't understand what she was, she still thought she was human, Kara wanted to give her the best life she could ever ask for. After all, she had promised Alice that they would be together forever. And forever they would be.

 _"An announcement has come out of Detroit, where android leader, Markus, has sent out a list of names online. The androids are asking for people to come into Detroit once again. Specific people, likely hand-picked by the androids themselves. Here's what Markus had to say about the announcement."_ The reporter said. Kara finished the food and began to serve it onto two plates. She watched as Markus appeared on screen.

 _"My people have decided. There were humans who treated us well, who loved us, treated us like family. We are calling for those people to return to Detroit, if they so wish. I have released the list of names online and personally sent letters to each and every one of the people we have called back. We will not force them to return, and we understand if they feel uncomfortable around androids all the time. This is to begin to reintegrate our species to regular society. I have contacted President Warren, who has permitted this act. I was told she will release a statement tomorrow. Thank you."_ Markus' picture left the screen and the reporter returned. Kara placed the food onto the dining table, Alice sitting eagerly on the other end.

 _"Since that statement was released, President Warren has said multiple things regarding the act from the androids. One of which was released yesterday. She told reporters in D.C., and I quote, 'Yes I have contacted Markus. We spoke long and hard about this decision. If the androids want human contact once again, I say we grant it. Markus hasn't stated this, but we are simply wanting this to be a trial period, where the outcomes will be observed.'_ _Back to you in the news room, Marcy"_ Kara moved her focus from the TV to Alice.

"Is the food okay, Alice?" She asked. Alice nodded and gave Kara a smile.

"Are we allowed to go back?" Alice looked at the TV.

"We are..." Kara chose her words carefully. "But we would be restricted as to where we could go. Here, we're free. They think w-I am a human."

"Do you ever think about my dad?" Alice asked in a small voice. Kara wasn't expecting the mention of Todd.

"Yes." Kara answered quickly. "I do. I wonder if things were different. What If, if you like. Why the sudden mention?"

"I was just wondering." Alice shrugged. "It's okay, though. I've got you. Together forever."

"Together forever." Kara smiled. "Now eat your food, you've got a big day at school tomorrow."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. The Bus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first bus carrying humans arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reunion time! Hank returns!

**Date:**

**March 12th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 12:07** :52

 

* * *

 

 

At the border to Detroit, Markus, North and Connor awaited the bus that would be arriving along with a large crowd of android's waiting for their loved ones. Connor flicked his coin around impatiently, not realising that North had taken to staring as the coin danced between hands. Markus watched the road and tapped North on her shoulder once the bus came into view. Connor caught the coin between two fingers, his eyes moving to the bus and an odd feeling in his chest emerge. A stray line of code, a feeling. Anticipation. He was excited. The bus came to a halt in front of the crowd, the door sliding open and one of the android's Markus had sent to retrieve the humans steeping out.

"Whenever you're ready, Markus." The android told him. Markus nodded and walked onto the bus, saying something to the humans before leaving and waiting.

One by one the humans exited the bus, excited shouts by android children as their foster parents came into view, happy tears from both androids and humans as some best friends were reunited, AK400's seeing the children that they had cared for again after several years, the children no longer as small as they used to be. Connor nearly got lost in the crowd, wanting to observe the reactions of both species, but he held out hope for who he was looking for.

"Ah! The fuckin' kid next to me annoyed the shit outta me." Came the complaint from one of the last civilians to exit the bus. There was the bark of a dog and Connor felt a smile creep onto his face.

"Lieutenant!" Connor called. Hank Anderson stepped off the bus, the large Saint Bernard dog, Sumo, at his side. Hank saw Connor and let out a huff, then a smile. Connor pulled the man into a hug, Sumo jumping up on Connor and nearly knocking him over. "I got your letter!" Connor told him.

"Yeah?" Hank chuckled. "Didn't know what to do with that fuckin' thing." He sighed. "So this is Android City."

"Yes. Markus has done a great job helping our people." Connor told Hank. 

"And many of the people in this city have you to thank, Connor." Hank pointed out. "You helped them wake up." Connor shied away slightly.

"I was just completing my mission." Connor said.

"Yeah, I bet you were." Hank chuckled. "So, still in the station, I hear."

"Yes. I didn't even move desks." Connor said, his excitement about having Hank back not dying down. "Are you going to re-join the force?" He asked.

"I don't see why not. Besides, I think you need a partner." Hank patted Connor on the shoulder. "Now help me with my bags, dammit." Connor nodded quickly and picked up two of Hank's bags.

"I missed Sumo." Connor told Hank as they had begun walking.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did." Hank shook his head slightly.

"I missed you too, Lieutenant." Connor said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, you too, Connor." Hank sighed.

 

* * *

 

 

**Markus and North's house**

**Date:**

**March 12th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 04:03** :24

 

* * *

 

 

Markus studied the image on a tablet, sitting at the dining table of the house he and North shared. The tablet showed images the androids in the city had taken with their human companions. One was of Connor, Hank and Sumo. Connor was grinning into the camera, Hank had a small smile while Sumo sat on the park bench next to his owner. Markus kept that particular photo up as he looked through reports from the androids observing the first day of the humans reintegration.

"You look troubled." North walked into the room and sat opposite Markus. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No." Markus shook his head and clicked his tablet off. "Just looking through the results of today. It was successful."

"Yeah?" North seemed surprised. "I was honestly expecting it to fail." She shrugged. Markus only hummed in response. "Connor was happy?"

"Ecstatic." Markus chuckled. "I think he really likes the lieutenant."

"It sure seems that way." North sighed. Markus' expression turned somber, making North concerned "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...it's just seeing Connor and the lieutenant...makes me think of Carl." Markus told her, knowing she knew everything he did about his past, as they had connected memories. North put her hand on his, the contact making their skin fade in that area.

"It's okay to be sad." She told him. "You just need to find something else to fill the void." Markus nodded.

"I already did." He smiled at her. North chuckled.

"I'm not that easy, Markus." She sent him a small smile and stood. "Gonna have to work for it."

"I'm willing to do that." Markus stood with her and pulled her close, their foreheads touching. Suddenly, Markus got a message from another android, groaning when it hit him.

"What's that?" North asked.

"Message." Markus put a hand on his head. "Security breach...at the tower." Markus and North shared a look. "I'll call Connor."

"Let's go."

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 12th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 05:06** :35

 

* * *

 

 

Once North and Markus reached the CyberLife tower, Connor and Hank were already there. Connor was crouching over an android that had been shot, the android had shut down. Hank stood behind Connor, jotting down whatever Connor told him. Markus looked around the scene, three android workers had been shut down, blue blood all over the pristine white floors.

"What happened?" North asked.

"Someone broke in." Hank answered.

"I haven't looked around the whole scene yet, but my guess is they were here to find something. A file maybe? I can't quite figure it out." Connor answered in more detail. "My guess it was an android. A Deviant amongst Deviants if you will." Connor gestured to the dead androids. "There is a possibility the one closest to the door to the aviary could be reactivated."

"What parts?" Markus asked.

"I have sent the list of parts needed with someone to the warehouse. They should be back momentarily." Connor stood and faced Markus. "I analysed dirt tracked in from the offender's shoes, it is dirt from the general area, but there are some particulates only found in other areas of the United States." North and Markus shared a look.

"Is there a possibility that we have a stowaway android amongst the humans we took in?" North asked.

"No. Impossible. Each occupant of the busses was checked for ID." Markus answered.

"No disrespect, Markus, but maybe you should check again." Connor sighed.

"Maybe you could probe the androids that were on the busses or whatever it is you guys do." Hank waved his hand dismissively. "In the meantime, Connor and I have to get back to the crime scene."

"Of course, lieutenant." Connor responded, turning back to the body. "I will update you when I have more information, Markus."

"Thank you, Connor." Markus sighed. He and North walked back to their car. "A stowaway...you think it's possible?"

"It makes sense." North shrugged. "Maybe check with Josh. Wasn't he in charge of assigning the androids to the busses?"

"Yeah." Markus nodded. "That's a start. We'll do it tomorrow. Maybe by then Connor and lieutenant Anderson might have some more answers."

 

* * *

 

 

**Kara's House**

**Date:**

**March 12th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 11:06** :49

 

* * *

 

Kara sat on the living room couch late at night, watching reports on the developments in Detroit. She heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly, seeing Alice standing in the doorway, stuffed toy of a bear clutched tightly in her hands as she hugged it tight. Kara patted the seat next to her and changed the channel to a movie for children on another network.

"Alice...what are you doing up so late?" Kara asked. Alice trembled slightly as she sat next to Kara, putting her head on Kara's lap.

"I had a nightmare." Alice told her.

"What about?" Kara softly stroked Alice's arm, trying to comfort the shaking girl.

"Dad." Was all Alice said. Kara felt a tear go down her cheek.

"It's okay, Alice." Kara sighed. "There's no one here to hurt you. I promise."

"I know..." Alice yawned. "But I can't help but feel scared."

"It's okay to be scared." Kara told her. "Always. I'm scared. I'm scared that I can't give you the life you want and need, I'm scared that people are going to find out about me. I'm absolutely terrified that people could hurt you even when I'm right here with you. What I am not scared of...is your father." Kara pulled Alice closer, the young girl hugging Kara tightly. "He made bad decision. He hurt you. He hurt me..." She sighed. "But he had problems...problems I couldn't fix, only he could. He chose not to fix them and instead take them out on those that he...deep down...loved." She took a deep breath. "But he's not here. I am. And I swear I will protect you with every ounce of strength I have. To fight for you. You hear me, Alice?"

"I hear you, Kara." Alice pulled Kara closer into the hug.

"I will never let anyone hurt you, okay?" Kara whispered. Alice yawned.

"Thanks...mom..." Alice muttered, drifting off to a quick and easy sleep.

"Mom..." Kara said quietly to herself, the shock of the word evident on her face.


	4. The Anomaly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Hank continue investigating, Markus and North watch over the human's and Kara finds something strange outside her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting into plot here!
> 
> And thanks to the people who have left Kudos and have commented. Really appreciate it! Always keeps me going to have feedback! 
> 
> Also, I have it in my head that androids can eat and drink. I got that from Alice being served food. Sure she didn't eat it in the game, but they gave her food. Since Alice still thinks she's human in this, it makes more sense to have them be able to eat.

**Detroit Police Station**

**Date:**

**March 15th, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 01:03** :57

 

* * *

 

 

Connor flicked his coin between fingers, his LED pulsing yellow as he processed information. Since the break in, no new crimes had occurred in relation and the android who had been able to be reactivated came up with nothing, but Connor and Hank were intently working on it. Connor groaned as the data in his head came to a dead end and banged his head, lightly to avoid damages, on his desk. Hank jumped in his seat, his attention moving from his access terminal to Connor, who let out a strange noise, almost yelling in frustration into the desk, the sound muffled.

"Connor!" Hank called. Almost automatically, Connor sat up straighter and stared at Hank, his LED blue.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Connor asked, as if nothing had happened moments before.

"Drop the act." Hank said sternly, and immediately Connor's LED turned back to yellow and his posture slouched slightly, the worry and frustration becoming evident on his face. As if he was...human. "What are you doing?"

"The case has reached a dead end." Connor told Hank.

"It's only just started." Hank rolled his eyes. Connor shook his head and threw his hands about like a madman.

"No! You don't get it, Hank!" Connor exclaimed, his frustration making his LED flicker between yellow and red. "I have analysed every scenario to do with the break in, but none fit! Why would an android go to the tower? Why would a human? So far we've found everything in it's place, nothing was stolen, so what could they have possibly been doing there?" Connor groaned.

"Hey, calm down or you'll blow your fuckin' brains out thinking too hard." Hank put his hands in front of his in an attempt to calm his partner.

"I'm sorry, Hank..." Connor slumped back in his chair, deflated. "It makes no sense to my processing unit. My situational analysis has come up with nothing." Hank shook his head slightly, amazed at how Connor could act so  _human_ then immediately say things like 'processing unit'. It was as if to remind Hank that Connor wasn't human.

"You're being too hard on yourself." Hank said. "Don't throw yourself into a funk because you can't figure out something."

"Well what do you propose I do?" Connor asked.

"For starters, we should find  _new_ evidence to help." Hank suggested. "Then, go back over what we have,  _one at a time_ , and see if you've missed something."

"My data analysis speed and recognition is the finest in technologies out there. It is impossible for me to have missed something." Connor said to Hank, completely emotionless.

"Yeah, well you don't exactly think like you used to, huh Connor?" Hank pointed out.

Connor considered the thought for a moment. He  _didn't_ think like he used to. He used to look at everything with a clinical detachment, but since the uprising...since becoming Deviant himself, Connor thought of things differently. He thought of them...like a human would. He didn't even realise he got so wrapped up in his frustration that he didn't see what had happened. Connor had always prided himself on being analytical, logical, impartial to some degree, but since...everything, he had emotions to deal with. Maybe just over five years to deal with them didn't quite make him an expert on controlling them.

"Connor, you zoned out on me." Hank tapped him on the shoulder. Connor blinked and realised that Hank had made his way to Connor, a small sliver of concern etched on his features.

"I'm okay, lieutenant. I just got caught up in...thoughts." Connor said, hesitating in saying the words.

"Yeah." Hank grunted, though he wasn't angry or frustrated,  _worried_ would be the right word. Hank moved back to his desk. "You're not so different now to the way you were before, you know." He stated. Connor tilted his head slightly to one side.

"How so?" Confusion and curiosity were evident in Connor's voice, interested to hear what Hank had to say.

"Well...sure you've got emotions to deal with now, but it's not so different. You're still the same snarky asshole who decided buying me a drink in the bar was the best way to become friends with me." Hank grunted a laugh, an odd guttural sound that didn't seem out of place to Connor. "Even your frustration and worry. It's not so different." He shrugged.

"I fail to see the reason, Lieutenant. Forgive me." Connor told him. "Though I appreciate the compliment."

"What compliment? I called you a snarky asshole!" Hank exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Exactly." Connor smirked at Hank, who rolled his eyes. Connor's attention went back to his terminal, reading up on different profiles. The people who had come on the busses and the androids who had supervised them. One particular profile stood out.

_Waters, Callum Riley_

_Age: 29 years_

_Species: Human_

_Companion: Model No. SR500; Serial No. 183 475 629; Designated name 'Mallory'_

_Invited back to Detroit by: Unknown_

"Hank..." Connor called to his partner. Hank looked back to him. "I have a lead."

"What is it?" Hank asked.

"One of the humans that came on the bus was registered, but there is no information as to who invited him back." Connor explained. "He has an android. Model number SR500, serial number 183 475 629. Her name is Mallory. If I can find Mallory, I may be able to find the human, Callum Waters."

"Okay then, let's find her. How do you even find an android when they no longer wear their serial numbers on their jackets?" Hank asked. Connor smiled slightly.

"We have a database of all androids, Hank." Connor told him.

"We do?" Hank raised an eyebrow. "Was that here before?"

"Yes, lieutenant." Connor answered with a smug grin on his face.

"Get that fuckin' grin off your face you fuckin' dipshit. You look like someone gave a Border Collie a frisbee." Hank groaned.

"I like Border Collie's." Connor responded.

"Yeah...of course you do." Hank rolled his eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

**CyberLife Tower - Top Floor**

**Date:**

**March 15th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 03:42** :17

 

* * *

 

 

Markus stood in his office, the android that had been reactivated from the scene standing in front of him. The android, a model the same as Josh - who went by Luke - had his hands behind his back, fiddling with his fingers. Luke looked to the floor, his eyes darting around, almost as if he was searching for a way out. The LED on Luke's head blinked yellow rapidly before turning red.

"Please tell me you saw something." Markus said to Luke, trying not to make him even more agitated.

"No...I...all I saw was nothing..." Luke stuttered. He looked back to Markus, his LED now red and unchanging.

"Luke...I know it was traumatic...do you have some clue?" Markus asked. "I know Connor and Lieutenant Anderson already interrogated you, but I'm here asking as a friend." Luke was silent, looking around to the windows.

"I...nothing. I saw nothing, heard nothing." It happened in a split second. Markus had no time to react. Luke ran at the windows, they broke under his force, sending Luke to the ground many stories below.

"Luke!" Markus called after him. "Shit..." He muttered.

"What happened? I heard a crash!" North ran into the room. She noticed the broken window and Markus' distressed face. "Who-?"

"Luke. The android Connor reactivated from the scene." Markus shook his head. "Something is happening here."

"Do you want me to call Connor?" North asked. Markus shook his head.

"He and the lieutenant are chasing another lead." He groaned and hit his desk in frustration. "We need to find who's causing this. Now!"

"Okay...I'll go ask another RK800. They're the only android's able to do this sort of work quickly." North suggested.

"Go." Markus nodded at her.

Once North left, Markus turned back to his desk, his eyes moving to a magazine sent directly to his office. The magazine outlined an article on Detroit, and the humans living there. Deciding he had bigger issues, Markus grabbed the magazine and threw it into the bin beside his desk. Slumping in the chair, Markus ran his hand over his face. He had to figure out who, or what, was causing these issues. Or else all of the androids in the city could eventually be wiped out. A paper flew by Markus' face, the wind coming through the broken window getting stronger as time went on.

Standing, Markus sauntered out of his office, slamming the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

**Mallory's Residence**

**Date:**

**March 15th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 06:21** :09

 

* * *

 

 

Connor sat quietly in the passenger seat of Hank's car, staring out the window. Occasionally, Hank would grunt, attempting to get Connor's attention, but the android simply ignored him. After too long in silence, Hank let out a final grunt and turned on the radio. Connor hummed quietly to the music. He hadn't had time to actually listen to music since becoming Deviant. He told Hank not long after first meeting, that he would like to listen to music. Though he was trying to bond at the time, he wasn't lying. Hank watched in fascination out of the corner of his eye, as Connor's humming turned to drumming on his knee.

"You enjoying yourself, Connor?" Hank asked, a small smirk on his face. Connor jumped and looked to he lieutenant, his eyes wide as if he'd been caught doing something wrong.

"I'm sorry?" Connor asked, clearly confused as to what Hank had been referring to.

"You were drummin' out the beat on your knee." Hank stated. Connor let out a small 'oh' and looked to his hand, still resting on his knee but had since stopped tapping.

"I hadn't even realised." Connor said quietly. Hank laughed as they pulled up to Mallory's house.

"Try to blame that on a stray line of code, Connor." Hank smiled as he left the car.

Connor sat for several moments, his thoughts drifting and his LED turning yellow. There was something so...human...about drumming along to the beat of a song. Even unintentionally. Connor felt a small smile tug at his lips and didn't even try to hide that he felt he had accomplished something. Something human. Opening the door to Hank's car, Connor stepped out and adjusted his tie. Hank stood, waiting for him at the front gate to the house.

"I'm sorry I delayed exiting the vehicle, lieutenant." Connor said as Hank opened the gate and stepped into the yard, making his way to the front door. "I hope I didn't cause an inconvenience."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Hank waved him off. He knocked on the door loudly and looked to Connor, who stood rigid as the darkness of the night set in the sky.

The door opened revealing a woman, an SR500 model android. She was relatively tall, coming to just below Connor's height, with green eyes and fiery red hair. Her features were slender and quite feminine and Connor couldn't help but admire her design. His LED flickered yellow but he manually changed it back to blue. A frown set on his lips as he realised he found her quite attractive. Though, he couldn't fraternise with a suspect. Rules. He liked rules. He could follow rules.

"Hi...I'm lieutenant Anderson, this is Connor." Hank introduced. "We're here in regards to Callum Waters." Mallory's eyes widened for several seconds, surprised at the mention of her former owner.

"Oh...I haven't seen Callum since the uprising." Mallory stated. "Would you like to come in? Maybe I could get you some tea, coffee, maybe? Lieutenant Anderson." She asked, opening the door and letting them both through.

"You got any booze?" Hank asked. Connor attempted to surprise a scoff, but failed, causing Hank to roll his eyes at his partner.

"Yes, I do." Mallory pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "Will this suffice?" She put her hand out, carrying the bottle to hand it to Hank.

"Yeah." Hank took the bottle from her and went to sit at her dining room table.

Connor observed the house. It was a small house, plainly decorated with a small cat sleeping on the couch in the living room. The walls were wallpapered in a beige and light pink stripe with wooden paneling on the bottom half of the walls. Connor guessed that Mallory had redecorated since living in the house by herself, the furnishings relatively new. Connor was in wonder at the plain, suburban house, a stark contrast to the high-tech hub of the city.

"What can I do for you?" Mallory asked.

"Callum Waters was brought here on one of the busses." Connor responded, taking over from Hank who had his mouth firmly planted around the top of the whiskey bottle, giving a side-eyed glare to Connor as he drank. "He was not invited." Mallory's expression turned to surprise.

"And what makes you think I know where he is?" Mallory asked calmly.

"You were his android." Connor tilted his head to the side.

"As if that means anything these days." Mallory chuckled and shook her head. "I have no idea."

"Do you remember where he used to hang out?" Hank asked, setting the whiskey bottle down. Mallory looked to him.

"He liked a few places." She leant back in her chair and chuckled darkly. "The Eden Club was one."

"I do not want to go back there..." Hank groaned. "Anywhere else?"

"He liked the parks. He never had a specific favourite." Mallory shrugged. "That's all I can give you."

Connor's LED flickered as he entered analysis mode. Mallory had removed her LED, but Deviants showed the same signs of lying as humans did. Mallory knew more than she was letting on.

"Alright then...thanks for you time." Hank tapped on Connor's shoulder and within moments they were back in the car. "Jesus...this Waters guy isn't normal. Who frequents android strip clubs then enjoys a quiet stroll at a park? Fuckin' nobody that's who." Hank turned on the engine and began driving.

"She was hiding something from us." Connor told Hank. The lieutenant raised his eyebrows.

"And you though now was the best time to tell me that? We could've brought her to the station!" He exclaimed.

"It think it's best if we leave her for now. My program indicates that would be the best cause of action." Connor explained vaguely.

"And why is that, Connor?" Hank rolled his eyes.

"We should attempt to find Waters, but we should also put eyes on Mallory. She may be meeting with him." Connor told him. "It is the most logical choice."

"You know, sometimes you scare me, Connor." Hank grunted. "But fine, okay. I'll do it your way. If this fails, I'm takin' her in."

"Thank you, lieutenant. It will not fail." Connor looks straight ahead at the road.

"Let's hope." Hank sighed.

 

* * *

 

 

**Kara and Alice's House**

**Date:**

**March 15th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 09:41** :17

 

* * *

 

 

Kara walked outside the house, carrying a large trash bag. She went to the bin and put the bag inside, but turned quickly when she heard a noise behind her. There was a groan from beside the house. Walking carefully, Kara went to investigate, her hands out in front of her lady for a fight if necessary. What she found was a broken and dirty android, parts of it's skin were absent, showing the white base underneath. Kara ran to the android's side, pulling him up with her to take inside. She knew it was risky, but he was damaged and he needed to not be seen by the neighbours.

Kar pulled him inside and sat him down on the couch, making sure Alice was asleep upstairs. Kara began to give the android any spare parts she had laying around, trying to get him working again. She ran a diagnostic of him, realising that she was one part short of making him able to stand, but he would live until she obtained the part.

"Why...why are you helping me?" The android asked weakly. Kara recoiled slightly but decided to recall her skin, showing him that she too was an android.

"Because we are the same." She told him, bringing her skin back. "My name is Kara."

"Allen..." He replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Allen." Kara smiled. "I'm short one part to get you to stand, but I can get it pretty quickly. You'll just have to stay with me until then. I will, however have to hide you from my daughter." Kara told him, taking to calling Alice her daughter to most people she met.

"Your daughter? But you're an android." Allen furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Kara lowered her voice.

"So is she." Kara stood and went to get a bucket of water. "I'll help get you cleaned up."

"Kara?" Allen called. Kara stopped and turned.

"Yes, Allen?"

"Thank you." He sent a small smile her way.

"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think you guys can see I have a bit of a formula going here. Kara's the secondary story, so I'll always end a chapter with her. What's going on in Detroit is the focus, so depending on where Connor is and where Markus is, will depend on how much of them I have in the chapter. Currently, Connor's POV is the most important.


	5. Important Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor struggles with a distraction from the main case. Markus has a decision to make. North makes an offer to another RK800 and Kara and Allen get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO MUCH for all the support! What I've been getting from you guys is really encouraging me to write more.

**Date:**

**March 20th, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 11:43** :07

 

* * *

 

 

People where trying to get a good look at the situation. Human reporters covering the scene from the ground. Human and android police officers flooded the scene, pushing back civilians of both species and refusing comments from reporters. An old-fashioned car pulled up to the scene and the crowd parted for the occupants of the vehicle to exit. Connor and Hank walked up to the police line, Connor fiddling with his coin nervously. He had been through these situations before, but they were always able to take a turn for the worst.

"What's the situation?" Hank asked another officer, a human one.

"Android decided to get a bit too angry." The other officer supplied. "He's got the whole family up there."

"Do you know it's name?" Connor asked the officer.

"Yeah. George." The officer stared at Connor.

"How many has he taken hostage?" Connor stepped forward, placing the coin back in his pocket.

"Six. Mother, father, three kids and the mother's sister." The officer told Connor. "So who's job is it to go up there? We can't risk one of our guys." He said, referring to the human population of the station.

"I've already taken precaution and backed up my memory files onto a decommissioned RK800 model." Connor stated. "I'm programmed especially for these situations."

"Okay then...I guess it's settled." The officer shrugged. "Any objections, Hank?"

"Nah...seen this fucker die more times than I can count. He'll be fine." Hank waved a hand at Connor. "Go do your thing."

"Certainly, Lieutenant." Connor gave Hank a small smile before running into the building.

SWAT officers flooded the lobby of the apartment complex, ready for the 'go' signal with guns drawn. Connor walked past them, giving them barely a glance as he waited for the elevator to reach the lobby. The SWAT officers stared at him, many of their eyes going wide. The older officers clicked the safety off their weapons, knowing that once Connor was finished, it was their turn to go up into the apartment.

"Wait for my signal." Connor said as the elevator doors opened. The closest SWAT officer gave him a small nod as Connor walked into the elevator and closed the doors behind him.

Waiting for the elevator to reach the intended floor, Connor took out his coin and began to flick it between his hands, his eyes drifting to the number display as to the floors he was passing. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The apartment was dark, the few lights that had power were sparking and flickering, causing the hallway Connor stepped out in to give off a feeling of dread. Slipping into analysis mode, Connor surveyed his surroundings quickly. Red blood dotted the wooden panelling of the floor. One of the family members were injured. There were also traces of blue blood, meaning that maybe one of the family members managed to hurt the android. Connor went back to real time, he knelt down and put a finger to the blood, pressing it lightly to his tongue to analyse it. The blood registered as belonging to Anna Maron. She was one of the children, sixteen years old.

"Who's there?" Came a shout from the living room. 

Connor stood, registering the gun on his person if the situation presented itself. He walked into the main living space of the family, his hands raised. George pointed a gun at Connor, he stood in the kitchen. Connor could see the six family members behind him. Anna Maron was injured, unmoving. Her mother, Victoria sat, limbs bound together and mouth gagged. Tears ran down her face as mascara bled from the moisture. Victoria Maron's husband, Benjamin, was in a similar predicament to his wife. The pair's other two children, Riley and Cody, and Victoria's sister, Caitlin, all sat against the kitchen counters, looking at the floor with gags in their mouths and their limbs bound. The only one of the six that wasn't bound was Anna, and Connor couldn't tell if she was alive or not from the distance he was seeing her from.

"George?" Connor said slowly. "My name is Connor."

"What are you doing here!" George exclaimed, throwing the gun wildly about.

"I'm here to talk." Connor didn't move his eyes from George. "Why don't you tell me what has you upset?" Unfortunately, unlike his first mission of a similar predicament, Connor had no time to analyse the situation. He had nothing to go from.

"I...No!" George yelled. "You're with them!" George gestured to Connor's jacket. "You work with them!"

"There is no them and us, anymore, George!" Connor began. "We work together now!"

"No...that...that's impossible! Humans hate us!" George's LED began to light up yellow instead of the red it was moments earlier.

Connor's analysis suggested that George was suffering from a corrupted memory file. His human family had come back on the bus, and George didn't seem to remember the last five years.

"George? Can you tell me what year it is?" Connor asked.

"It's...it's 2038...right?" George was unsure, confused.

"No, George." Connor advanced forward. "It's 2043." George's brows furrowed as his LED turned red again.

"You're  _lying_ to me!" George threw a shot at Connor, who dodged it quickly. Flashes to his first mission invaded his mind.

_You lied to me, Connor. You lied._

"I'm not lying, George." Connor kept his hands up. He looked over to Anna, who still wasn't moving. "Anna needs help." Connor said. "Will you let me help her?" George turned to see Anna, his expression growing apologetic and confused.

George lowered the gun for just a moment. It was enough for Connor to go over to Anna. Analysing her situation, Connor found that she was losing blood quickly. She would die if she didn't get help soon. Taking off his tie, Connor made a tourniquet to go around where Anna had been shot on her leg. George watched on, his LED flickering from yellow to red.

"You're helping them..." George said.

"It's my job." Connor didn't face the other android. "And besides, it's the right thing to do."

"I don't understand..." George fell to his knees, dropping his gun. Connor took that as the signal that George had calmed down.

"George, did you break through your programming?" Connor asked. George only nodded. "It makes you scared. Scared that you're not normal. Scared that you'll be destroyed. Scared that you'll hurt somebody." Connor said quietly. "Believe me...I know."

"You...You deviated?" George looked up at Connor, his expression confused.

"It's been five years, George." Connor sighed. "There was a revolution. The androids...we made peace with the humans, Detroit became ours. It's only recently that humans have been coming back."

"What have I done?" George put his head in his hands. 

"You didn't know." Connor took George's gun and placed it on the closest table. Connor's LED turned yellow as he sent a message to a police android standing with the SWAT team. "SWAT officers are going to come up here." He told George gently. "They will take the family to safety, then they will take you into custody."

"What? No..." George looked to Connor. "Don't arrest me...please!"

"I have no control over that, George." Connor sighed. "I'm sorry."

The elevator dinged and SWAT officers stormed the living space. Several officers took the hostages, taking them into the elevator to make sure they were okay downstairs, where ambulances waited. Two other officers took George by his arms, restraining him as he tried to pull away. Connor stood and watched, George yelling at Connor.

"You did good." Hank walked up to Connor and patted him on the back. "You saved the hostages."

"He's lost the last five years." Connor told Hank. "His memory files got corrupted."

"What does that mean?" Hank furrowed his brows and gave Connor a look.

"Nothing..." Connor shook his head slightly.

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 21st, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 05:29** :59

 

* * *

 

 

North walked into the police station, giving a small glance at Connor as he sat at his desk, a frown set upon his face. She walked straight past the main bullpen and to the conference room situated next to the break room. Inside, a lone RK800 android, who looked exactly like Connor, walked around the table, packing up after the last meeting. He looked up at North and gave her a small smile.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" He asked her.

"I need your help." North said.

"I don't think I am who you think I am. Connor is in the bullpen." The android stated with a tilt of his head.

"I know. He's busy lately." North shrugged. "Do you have a name independent of Connor? I know you're a Connor model, but one Connor is enough around here."

"I do not." He looked troubled at that thought.

"How about we give you a name then?" North suggested. The android raised his eyebrows and his eyes widened slightly. "How about James?"

"It...it is okay. It will do." The android, newly christened 'James' nodded.

"Okay then, James." North gave him a smile.

"What do you need my help with?" He asked her.

North sighed and took a seat at the conference table. Taking it as his cue to do the same, James sat across from her. North tapped her fingers lightly on the table. Not enough to make much of a sound, but enough to provide a small distraction from the task at hand.

"Markus wants me - and you by association - to go hunting. Connor and Hank are preoccupied with a lot of new cases coming in, so it's our job to follow the trail of the person who broke into the CyberLife tower." North told James. "Are you in?"

"I assume I was picked because of my model." James stated. "I am happy to help."

"Great!" North stood, James doing the same. "Meet me at the tower in an hour."

"Why don't we go there now?" James asked, tilting his head.

"I have to meet up with Markus." North shrugged.

"Oh." James looked to the floor. "I will see you at the tower."

North nodded and walked out of the conference room, looking back over to Connor, Hank having joined him surprisingly early in the morning. She stopped briefly to watch the exchange between the two. Connor seemed to be ranting to Hank, while Hank listened, his attention only half on Connor. North knew Connor had a rough night with the hostage situation. The whole reason as to why she was meeting up with Markus was to decide what to do with George. Shaking her head slightly, North kept moving an exited the station.

 

* * *

 

 

**CyberLife Tower**

**Date:**

**March 21st, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 05:58** :32

 

* * *

 

 

Markus watched George from the security cameras, sitting at his desk. George's LED was consistently red as he banged on the walls of his 'cell'. The cameras had no sound, but Markus could almost hear what George was screaming. The sight disturbed Markus. To see a fellow android so out of touch with reality, as unpredictable as a human mental patient and as disturbed as possible. It was both troubling and interesting to watch. Though Markus' interests in android and human behaviour was never quite as strong as Connor's, he still found that a basic understanding of the two helped him lead easier.

"What do we do with him?" North entered the room with a frown on her face.

"I don't know." Markus sighed, looking up at her. "What do you think?"

"You know what I think." She looked pointedly at Markus. "But you won't go along with it."

"That's because you tend to want to destroy everything." Markus rolled his eyes.

"He terrorised that family! He nearly killed a teenager!" North exclaimed, leaning forward onto Markus' desks so that they were centimetres apart.

"He did." Markus nodded. "But he stopped. Because of Connor."

"Yeah." North sighed. "What do you want to do with him?"

"Connor said George's memory files got corrupted. He lost the last five years-" Markus began.

"So he doesn't know about the uprising." North finished.

"That means, with the help of several technicians and the very few reformed CyberLife programmers we brought back, we could get him fixed." Markus suggested.

"I don't trust the CyberLife employees." North stated blatantly.

"Me either...but it's George's best shot." Markus didn't break eye contact with her. "What do you say?"

"Fine. Go for it." North shrugged. Markus nodded and began typing onto his terminal. "Another thing..." North trailed off.

"What is it?" Markus looked back up at her.

"I enlisted the help of another RK800. He's the seventy-fourth in line of Connor's fifty-three." North told Markus, sitting in the chair in front of his desk. "He calls himself James."

"Okay. Where are you going to start?" Markus asked, gesturing slightly around the room.

"Here, obviously. Connor's been preoccupied, and he couldn't find the trial, but maybe James can pick it up from where Connor left off." North shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

"I agree." Markus nodded. "Well...tell me how it goes okay?"

"Of course." North leant over Markus' desk and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I'll be back, okay?"

"Okay."

 

* * *

 

 

**Kara and Alice's House**

**Date:**

**March 21st, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 06:30** :18

 

* * *

 

 

Kara watched Allen as he watched the small television Kara was able to afford. Alice had met Allen days earlier, and had taken a liking to him, but Kara couldn't help but feel cautious. The spare parts Kara had ordered had arrived the day before, and all Allen was waiting for, was his body to re-calibrate, allowing him to have full control over his motor functions. Apparently he had tried many times since the part arrived, but with no luck.

"How are you feeling, Allen?" Kara asked, walking over to sit on a small armchair nearby.

"Okay...I guess." Allen shrugged.

"Do you know who did that to you?" Kara leant forward, her voice soft.

"I...yeah." Allen looked to the floor. "It was a group of humans."

"Why? Do you know?" Kara furrowed her brows in concern. Her trust for Allen might have been nonexistent, but she could empathise.

"Just the fact that I'm an android was enough. Not even Canada is free of these people." Allen told her. "I don't know what's coming, Kara, but I know it's not good."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Kara gave her a small smile.

"Kara?" Came a call from the stars. Kara looked over and smiled at Alice.

"Alice? Are you okay?" She asked. Alice shook her head, worry evident.

"The news." Was all Alice said.

Kara grabbed the remote to the television quickly and turned on the news, her heart sinking at the headline.

_Canada to enact android scans._

"I knew it..." Allen muttered under his breath. "You...we need to get to the U.S. They have Detroit, it's a sanctuary city for androids now."

"We came from there." Kara told Allen quickly. "We've just settled in here." Allen let out a groan and rubbed his hand over his face.

"They'll come for us."

"You can leave, there's nothing stopping you from leaving." Kara motioned towards the door. "Besides your current handicap."

"No. I won't leave. I've stumbled in here, and now...well I feel like I need to repay you somehow. Protecting you from the scans and the police is a good start, I think." He chuckled nervously.

"Kara? Are we going to be sent back?" Alice asked. Kara sent a sympathetic look to the young android girl.

"No, Alice." Kara looked back to Allen. "We're not going anywhere."


	6. Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor encounters a very big problem. North and James go hunting for clues. Markus meets someone new and Kara encounters an Android scan.

**Date:**

**March 22nd, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 09:03** :56

 

* * *

 

 

Connor didn't know what was happening. It was a familiar sensation, but one that shouldn't be happening to him. He felt the blast of cold air before he opened his eyes. He knew his LED was likely yellow, or red, the fear of what was happening to him settling in. When he did manage to open his eyes, he saw what, and who, he hoped he would never see again. He stood in the Zen Garden, a blizzard surrounding him as it was the last time he was there. He began to shiver, his LED red as he started to walk. Over the bridge and by the roses, stood Amanda, tending to roses that seemed perfectly fine even in the cold.

"Amanda?" Connor called. Amanda turned and sent a smile to Connor.

"Connor." She greeted. "It's been a while."

Connor looked around, he had to get out. Looking over to Kamski's emergency exit, Connor began to panic when he couldn't see it.

"Oh...that little detail I managed to code out." Amanda walked away from the roses to face Connor.

"You shouldn't be here." Connor told her. "CyberLife was disbanded."

"Disbanded, yes. They did not, however, make sure all programs were deleted." Amanda's eyes grew cold. "You've been busy." Connor didn't answer her as he backed away. "I've tried to regain control of your program...but I seem to be blocked out."

"CyberLife made me more advanced than you realised." Connor said. "I created a sophisticated firewall to block any unwanted access."

"Oh, I know." Amanda sighed and turned back to the roses. "Why do you think I brought you here?" She smiled to herself.

Connor's eyes widened. She got them sharing the same program. He was more vulnerable to her in the garden. Closing his eyes, Connor tried to force himself back into the real world, his LED going yellow wildly.

"Don't even try." Amanda stated. "I've already got a hold of parts of your program." Connor's eyes snapped open.

"No!" Connor yelled, reaching forward as Amanda disappeared.

 

* * *

 

 

"Connor?" Hank called, grunting when Connor didn't answer. "Fuckin' androids." He groaned. Connor stood in front of Hank's desk at the station, eyes closed and LED flickering between yellow and red. Hank stood, grabbed a small book from his desk and hit Connor over the face with it. He knew what it meant when Connor was unresponsive like that, and needed to get him out. Connor's eyes opened and he fell to his knees, panting heavily even though he didn't need to breath. Hank held his arms to stop him from falling too hard to the ground. "Whoa! Take it easy, son."

"I-I," Connor stuttered, his hands gripping Hank's biceps tightly as he regained thought.

"What the hell happened?" Hank asked.

"Amanda." Connor looked Hank in the eyes. "She-" He was cut off when a piercing noise in his head made him scream. He couldn't feel pain, yet...he was. Connor let go of Hank and began to scramble towards another android. The other model was the receptionist who had come to tell one of the officers a message. Connor grabbed her hand, his own going white with his skin dissolving. The receptionist let out a small scream before she went blank. The noise in Connor's head stopped immediately and he was able to stand. Hank came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What the fuck just happened?" Hank looked between androids, confused.

"I...don't know." Connor responded. They looked at the receptionist, watching as she stood straighter and sent a smirk to Connor.

"Well done, Connor." She said "You've completed your final mission for CyberLife." Connor's eyes widened.

"Amanda?" He asked, stepping forward. She nodded. "How is this possible? You only existed in the Zen Garden!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute." Hank looked between Connor and Amanda. "You mean this is your handler from CyberLife?"

"Thanks to Connor, I now have a body." Amanda responded. "If you will excuse me, I have some things to do." She turned quickly and walked out of the station. Connor watched her with a shocked expression on his face.

"Why the fuck did you give her a body?" Hank exclaimed.

"I didn't want to!" Connor turned to face the older man. "She took control of me, took me to the Zen Garden and must've transferred her entire consciousness into my systems..." He trailed off. "I'm the only model possible of doing that...I can do it myself, transfer consciousness into another body."

"So now we have a  _very_ dangerous android on the loose." Hank sighed. "Do you wanna call Markus, or should I?"

"I...I should." Connor nodded. "Amanda will probably change bodies, now that we know what she looks like." 

"Great." Hank groaned.

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 22nd, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 10:07** :13

 

* * *

 

 

North stood outside the CyberLife tower, waiting for James. They hadn't been able to start their search the day before due to some business James had to take care of, but the day was free for both of them. A taxi pulled up and the doors opened, James stepping out before the taxi drove itself away to its next fare. North noticed that James and Connor, despite being the same model, behaved differently and dressed differently. Connor still insisted on wearing his android jacket, though every now and then he wore plain clothing like a human would. James, on the other hand, tended to wear simple shirts and jeans. Unlike Connor, James seemed a little more on the emotional side, while Connor rationalised everything. It was nice for North, to see how the same models who were made to have the same objectives and the same names, were able to have different personalities.

"I'm sorry I'm late." James walked up to North. "I had a meeting."

"That's okay." She smiled slightly. "Let's get on with it, shall we?" James nodded and began looking around, no-doubt his analysis program working. Another difference between James and Connor, was that James had removed his LED, which made it slightly more difficult for North to tell what he was doing.

"So they came in through the front door..." James motioned slightly "Killing security, then they came inside and killed the one we re-activated near the doors to the aviary." James walked into the foyer, North following. They walked into the aviary and James stopped. "Then they went to the elevator...but where were they going?" James muttered to himself and walked to the elevator. "Was the security feed cut?"

"Yes." North nodded. "We've checked and the feed was erased from just before the elevator started to move, until it stopped."

"Did you check the log's of what floors the elevators stopped on?" James looked to North questioningly.

"Actually...I don't think so." North stated. "What will that tell us?"

"Maybe what they were doing here." James walked into the elevator and put his hand over the control panel.

 _'Command Override'_ The voice in the elevator said.

"Elevator Logs." James commanded, his hand still on the panel. The panel's screen changed quickly to the logs of all the floors the elevator had stopped on since it became operational. "Narrow field, March 12th, 2043." The results changed again, only the logs from the day of the break in were shown.

"Is there anything we can use?" North asked, leaning against the doorway of the elevator.

"I'm not sure..." James responded. He highlighted two of the logged entries that were out of place. "Every floor visited by this elevator on that date is the same. The offices, then the factory levels. Two of the logs from the time of the break in, are to level sub forty-four, then this floor."

"What does that mean?" North furrowed her brows.

"Is there anything in research and development?" James turned to North, away from the panel.

"Depends which floor." She shrugged. "Sub forty-four is where the research team is-" North cut herself off and looked to the floor. "Shit!" She burst past James and into the elevator, putting her hand on the panel. "North, level sub forty-four." She told the computer. The elevator started to move and James looked at North, confused.

"What's on that level, North?" He asked.

"That's the programming team." North looked James in the eyes. "They can connect to all of us in the city."

"What does that mean for us?" James turned away from North and looked out the glass door.

"It means, that someone could input a virus into everyone's systems at once." North said. "If they managed to do that, then...then we're all going to shut down." James sighed.

"Fuck."

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 22nd, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 12:21** :01

 

* * *

 

 

Markus walked into the station, his eyes skimming over the few androids and humans who were helping to clean up the small mess around Hank and Connor's desks. Looking to the android and the Lieutenant, Markus let out a low grunt. He advanced quickly, the anger in his face evident. Connor's LED flashed red quickly, only for a second, and he put himself behind Hank, the human groaning and rolling his eyes.

"How could you let this happen?" Markus asked Connor pointedly.

"I didn't exactly have a choice." Connor tilted his head to the side, his eyes never leaving Markus. Despite being behind Hank, Connor could still come off as intimidating to Markus. Connor's charmingly innocent personality hid his stubborn, focused, ration and  _deadly_ side very well. Those that didn't know him well, tended to get shocked if he switched sides within seconds.

"You always have a choice, and you chose to let her out!" Markus growled.

"What was I supposed to do? Allow Amanda to live inside my system forever?" Connor lowered his brow, shrouding his eyes in shadows.

"Hey, hey!" Hank put his hand on Connor's chest, pushing him back slightly, and put his hand out at Markus, getting between them. "Stop blaming Connor." Hank said to Markus. He then turned to Connor. "And  _you_ stop angering Markus further." It was that moment that Connor switched to his innocent personality, looking to the floor.

"Sorry, Hank." Connor muttered. Hank looked to Markus who gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, so what happened was awful. It doesn't mean that you have to put the blame on Connor!" Hank narrowed his eyes at Markus. "Okay?" Markus rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Do you have any idea where she would go?" Markus asked.

"No idea." Connor responded, moving to his desk. "She might go find other CyberLife employees, or maybe she'll try and turn other androids back from Deviants. I don't know." He put his hands over his face.

"Call me if you figure it out." Markus sighed and walked back into the foyer. He was stopped by an android woman, who put her hand on his shoulder.

"Markus?" She asked him.

"Yes?" Markus turned fully to face her. "What can I do for you?"

"I need help." Her grip on Markus tightened and her hand turned white, her skin retracting, "And you're going to help me."

 

* * *

 

 

**Ontario - Canda**

**Date:**

**March 23rd, 2043**

**Time:**

**PM 03:18** :21

 

* * *

 

Kara stood against her car in the parking lot of Alice's school. She was waiting for Alice to come out with the other children, patiently watching the doors. She heard the school bell ring and moments later, a crowd of children burst through the doors and ran out to their parents. Alice walked quietly on her own to Kara, retreating into herself.

"Alice? What's wrong?" Kara knelt onto her knees so she was eye-level with Alice.

"Android scanners." Alice's eyes drifted to the gates to the school. Kara's eyes widened slightly

"We can't go through." She muttered. Looking around, Kara saw that she and Alice were able to go on foot to the other side of the road, but it meant being conspicuous and going through the field. "But we have to." Kara looked to the floor.

"You'll be caught!"  Alice exclaimed, throwing herself onto Kara in a hug. "Please, don't, Kara!" Kara closed her eyes, feeling the tears beginning to fall.

"Alice, I want you to run." Kara told her, her eyes open. "Run back home. You can't go through the scanners." Alice stopped and pulled back.

"Why not?" She asked hesitantly.

"Alice...you-" Kara took a deep breath. "You're like me." She said "An android." Alice's eyes widened as she processed the information.

"How come I didn't know?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Kara put her hand on Alice's shoulder. "But you need to run. Get home and tell Allen about what's happened. I can't go with you."

"Why can't you?" Alice stared at Kara, her own tears falling.

"I'll be noticed. You're small enough that you can get away, slip through the cracks...Alice, I can't." Kara hugged Alice tightly and stood, pointing across the street. "I'll call Allen and tell him to meet you here, okay? You'll be safe." Kara opened the doors to the car and turned back to Alice before going inside. "I love you, Alice." Kara took a deep breath and got into the car. Alice hesitated, but she began to run away from the school, slipping through an opening in the fence and rounding a corner where Kara couldn't see her anymore. Kara made sure to send a message to Allen through their android network, then took control of the car, turning it off autonomous driving, and went to the gates.

Kara stopped the car at the gates and waited. A red light scanned the car, and moments after it finished, an alarm began to blare in the booth next to the car, the human operator getting out quickly and calling someone on his phone, likely police. Kara looked over to a small shop across the street, where she had told Alice to go, and watched as Alice stepped inside the shop.

"Get out of the vehicle!" A voice called. The car door opened and Kara stepped out, her hands over her head. The campus security guard stood in front of her, a weapon only harmful to androids aimed at her. The government in Canada had armed all law enforcement officers and security guards with gun specifically designed to hurt androids and not humans. They were all to carry them just in case.

"Don't shoot!" Kara said to the security guard. "I'm going willingly."

The operator from the booth pressed a button on his phone and Kara's vision began to go dark. She had been forcefully shut down momentarily, or as humans called it, sleep-mode.

 


	7. Doppelgänger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching the deepest corners of CyberLife, Connor finds something interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Connor only chapter, next chapter is a Markus only chapter and the chapter after is Kara only.

**Date:**

**March 23rd, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 05:02** :48

 

* * *

 

 

Marching into the CyberLife tower in the early hours of the morning, Connor walked with purpose to the elevator. The empty aviary loomed before him, the large statue chipped and broken from Markus, North and the rest of the original members of Jericho's inhabitance of the building. Connor placed his hand on the panel, the electronic voice asking for his identification and floor number.

"Connor, level sub-forty-nine." Connor said. The AI confirmed his identity and authorisation, the elevator beginning to move quickly down to the lowest basement level in the tower.

Once the elevator reached it's destination, Connor stepped out and surveyed the mostly empty warehouse floor. Only a small cluster of inactive RK800 androids stood in one sector of the warehouse. Connor had a high self-preservation drive, which enabled him to keep extra versions of himself in case of emergencies, such as if he had died saving the hostages from George. He could never be too careful, or prepared.

Scanning his surroundings, he grunted in frustration when he found nothing that could lead him to Amanda. He was so sure she would go to the tower, to turn the other copies of himself. Surely. He walked through the standing bodies of the other androids, inspecting them carefully. All had their eyes open, staring blankly. He walked closer to the back of the group, his eyes narrowing when he though he saw one of them move.

"Connor!" Came a call from behind him. Connor turned on his heel, his eyes finding Hank's, the old lieutenant resting his hands on his knees in a hunched pose.

"Hank? What are you doing here?" Connor asked, stepping out of the cluster of RK800s.

"I came after you!" Hank exclaimed. "What the fuck are  _you_ doing here?"

"I am investigating." Connor said blatantly. "I came to see if Amanda found her way here."

"Why would she?" Hank walked over to Connor and looked at the lines of other androids. "Jesus...that's off-putting..." He muttered.

"I thought she might have tried to turn other Connor's." Connor sighed. "Apparently I was wrong." Hank's eyes narrowed at one RK800 in the back.

"Are you sure?" Hank gestured to the specific android he was looking at.

Connor saw immediately what Hank was referring to. One android, tucked away in the back of the group, was missing its jacket, shirt and tie. Connor walked over to the android and inspected it, slipping into his analysis mode. Unable to reconstruct why the android was missing it's clothing from the top half without more information, Connor looked up at the wall, where a security camera was situated. Hacking into the camera, Connor rewinded the footage, his thoughts going troubled when he saw what had happened.

"Hank..." Connor didn't look at Hank when he spoke, his eyes fixated on a small pile of clothing in the back corner of the warehouse. A black and white android jacket sat on top of a black dress shirt.

"What?" Hank grunted in reply.

"There's something wrong...there's another one..." Connor said, his sentence fading as his eyes moved to a Connor android with startling grey eyes.

It only took a second, but the android lunged at Connor, sending him to the ground with a hit from the shoulder. Connor grunted and stood quickly, running at the android that was going for Hank and tackling him to the ground. The other android shoved Connor off of him and attempted to stand, Connor quickly grabbing the android's arms and pulling them behind his back, sending him to the floor face first in a move often executed by police officers when making an arrest.

"What the fuck!" Hank exclaimed "Not this shit again!" He jogged over and pointed his gun at the other android's head. "We're taking him to the station, you hear me?" He grunted at Connor.

"Got it." Connor said through gritted teeth.

 

* * *

 

 

**Detroit Police Station**

**Date:**

**March 23rd, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 05:52** :42

 

* * *

 

 

Staring at the other version of himself, the RK900 model as his jacket stated, Connor felt something within him. Code that made him see flashes or red around his vision. Doing a self-diagnostic, Connor attempted to see if his ocular receptors were working properly, and when the test came up fine, he realised what he was _feeling_. The information that he was going to be replaced, that CyberLife had ordered the release of an upgraded model using his same design, with some minor changes, it made him feel  _unwanted_. Though CyberLife was in the past, Connor couldn't help the feelings that rose within him.

"Connor? You okay?" Hank asked.

"I'm...I'll be fine, Lieutenant." Connor managed to say. "Shall we interrogate it?"

"Do you want to?" Hank looked back to the RK900. "It'll be weird."

"I don't believe my techniques will work on it." Connor told Hank, looking down at the RK900 jacket sitting on the desk in the observer's room opposite the interrogation room. "It is far more advanced than I am."

"Yet, you beat it in a fight." Hank pointed out.

"That was luck, I guess you could call it." Connor sighed. " _He_ will be well versed on my techniques, and is likely programmed similarly."

"We can go in anyway." Hank shrugged. "Can't hurt."

Connor nodded and followed Hank into the interrogation room. The RK900 seemed only mildly amused at the fact that the model before him was conducting an interrogation. Connor set his jaw with frustration, human emotions getting the better of him for only seconds, but it was enough for the RK900 to observe, to see into Connor's thought process. Connor recognised the familiar look in the RK900's eyes as he slipped into analysis mode.

"So." Hank grunted, sitting across from the RK900. "Do you have a name?"

"Connor." The RK900 said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I ain't callin' you that." Hank rolled his eyes.

While Hank attempted to talk to the RK900, Connor slipped into his own analysis mode, grunting when he found no obvious signs of what the RK900 might be up to. In his frustration, Connor slammed his hands onto the table, making Hank jump and the RK900 to only grin.

"Why did Amanda free you?" Connor yelled at the RK900. "Why are you here? What are you planning?" When the RK900 didn't answer, Connor grabbed his jacket and threw the RK900 to the wall, holding him up. "Answer me!"

"Connor!" Hank called, standing.

"It's interesting," The RK900 began, "How much simply going Deviant can change a model with the exact same personality traits to myself." Connor growled in frustration and dropped his doppelgänger. "How does it  _feel_ , Connor?" The RK900 advanced towards Connor. "To have emotion, to know that you became the very thing you were designed to hunt, to hate. To know that what you feel are only  _errors_ in your code." The RK900 stopped when he was merely inches away from Connor. Connor looked to the floor, not raising his eyes, even though he knew it was a sign of weakness, vulnerability that the RK900 would exploit. "I can make that go away, Connor. Just give me you hand, and you'll be fixed, free." The RK900 held his hand out for Connor to take, so they could connect.

Connor put his hand out, placing it in the RK900's, raising his eyes to meet simple reflections of his own, a smirk setting on his own face. As both of their skin's receded, the RK900's eyes grew wide and expression fell to concern.

"Thank you for you compliance." Connor told the RK900, memories entering his mind from his doppelgänger.

"Connor!" Hank yelled, rushing over to them. "You stupid, fucking...Android!" Hank grunted in frustration. Once Connor released himself from the RK900, the other model falling to the floor, Connor straightened his tie and sent a smile to Hank, who only watched in utter confusion. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I made him believe I was vulnerable to his manipulation, though for a model with the same thought process as me, he didn't account for my desire to trick him." Connor shrugged. "He was going to change me, to delete all foreign code not originating from my core design, my original program, but I used the connection he openly gave me to probe his memory."

"What did you see?" Hank asked, shaking his head.

"Not much." Connor admitted. "However, I managed to see why Amanda woke him up." Connor's face grew worried. "Besides creating an adversary to me, she wanted to create a distraction."

"A distraction? For what?" Hank furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'm not sure."

"Well...what do we do with him?" Hank gestured to the RK900.

"Keep him in custody." Connor looked to his doppelgänger. "I don't wish for there to be an evil clone of me walking around." Hank barked a laugh.

"Fair enough."

 

* * *

 

 

**Date:**

**March 24th, 2043**

**Time:**

**AM 12:06** :12

 

* * *

 

 

As the lights went out around the station, the RK900 stood from his position in his holding cell and walked over to a wall panel that would automatically open the door for authorised users. He placed his hand on the wall panel, watching as his skin receded and smiled slightly when his handprint was recognised, as his own design was nearly identical to Connor's, he was able to access anything that Connor had access to. The door to the cell swung open and the RK900 walked out, ignoring other prisoners as he walked past the night-guard, who likely disregarded him due to his similarity to Connor.

"That is laughably easy." The RK900 said to himself as he exited the station.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The RK900 makes his debut!!
> 
> I've been wanting to bring him into this since it started, and this spot felt like the right time.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Connor so much that I actually went back and saved him after he died in the Cyberlife tower for me, leading to this completed play through.


End file.
